IRPilot,
may I take the opportunity to say 'well done' on having the compunction to come onto this site to try to find out what was going on.
As previously stated, you
should have queried the SID on the ground if it seemed to take you in the opposite direction and did not join up with your route.... it was possibly a mistake on the controllers part, you did state it was busy, but the next controller (probably radar) would not have expected you to pop up on the track you did, so it was inherently unsafe.
If someone (an ATCO) is slack enough to say to you "continue", without stating what you are continuing, either question it or continue on whatever you were doing... in this case I think that from what you have said you should have been tracking 079 to another Nav Aid on the SID.
Never try to second guess what someone is thinking, or indeed what they mean... if in doubt, get clarification... believe me, the ATCO will be grateful you did, and it could save you from a nasty.
However, once again, well done on having the get up and go to ask instead of just letting it slide - if only more 'non professional' (I assume in your case), flyers did the same, it would help us and them
